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Kyoto: Descending Arashiyama (Private)

Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Kyoto, Japan
  • 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Arashiyama is known for its famous bamboo groves, temples, and stunning nature spots—and this small-group tour is the ideal way to discover it without doing any research. Benefit from having a guide to navigate, so you can put away your map and focus on the sights. Highlights of the route include the 1,200 Buddha statues at ​​Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple, an Edo-period cafe, a pottery studio, and Sagano Bamboo Grove.
  • Explore Arashiyama with a guide to navigate so you don’t get lost
  • Discover rare sights: Visit a Zen temple that’s over 1,000 years’ old
  • Tick off lots of sights, including bamboo groves and a pottery studio
  • Small-group tour with a maximum of 7 travelers

What's Included

  • Professional guide service
  • Important Note: Each guest is required to bring an additional 5,000 yen (cash) for admission tickets
  • Lunch
    Lunch cost should not exceed 1,500 yen per guest

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Randen Arashiyama Station Center
    20-2 Tsukurimichi-cho, 嵯峨天龍寺芒ノ馬場町 右京区 京都市 京都府 616-8384, Japan

    We will meet in front of the station. If you need directions to the meeting point please let me know where you are coming from and I will gladly send you the route.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:30 am

Itinerary

1

Togetsukyo Bridge

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

2

Tenryu-ji Temple

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

3

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

4

Ayuchaya Hiranoya

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

5

Adashino Nembetsu-ji Temple

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

6

Gio-ji Temple

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

7

Okochi Sanso Garden

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

8

The Bamboo Forest Trail

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Strollers will be available as we walk from site to site, but will not be allowed in the sites themselves. Stollers can be stored at the reception desk of each site.
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0
based on 24 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We perform checks on reviews

A tour that isn’t too touristy

jerica_h, Jan 2026
Such a great tour. Off the beaten path. Really enjoyed the day. Learned a lot & saw a lot. Highly recommend

Great walking tour....

Laura_C, Oct 2025
Great walking tour. Andrew was very knowledgeable and we saw some great sites and learned about the history and culture behind them.

Lovely time in Kyoto

Charo_D, Jan 2023
Andrew finds fun, hidden gems and livens them up further with his stories about gardens--what's there, what it might mean, and how it's created. He also works hard to build strong relationships with the people connected to (or simply working around) these beautiful spots, which creates good will toward the people in his tour groups. Really a nice way to spend a day in Kyoto. Also recommend his half-day Zen garden trip, might be better for families with kids/teens. Also, he points out great sweetshops & restaurants!!

From $690.00

per group (up to 4)

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 45 days in advance.

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Kyoto: Descending Arashiyama (Private)
7 hours 30 minutes
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$690.00

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